Improvement in skates



PATENT 'Grrrcn `JOHN sIMnoN ARMSTRONG, on sr. JOHN, CANADA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SKATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13l,06, dated October 1, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SnvrEoN ARM- sTRONG,'of St. John, in the Province of New Brunswick and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Skates, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to improvements in that class of skates which are constructed to be mfastened tov the shoe by stationary and movable heel-clamps and movable clamps at the ball of the foot,th'e latter and the movable heel-clamp being operated by a screw-rod eX- tending from the ball-plate to the heel-plate and connected to them 5 and my said invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

Figure 1y is a plan view of my improved' skate.' Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front footplate, when made of sheet metal, after being cutout of the plate and before being bent up into the finish ed form. Fig. 4 is a similar view.

' Fig. 5 is a similar view of the movable heelclamp. Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the clamps for the side of the shoe at theV ball. Fig. 7 is a detail view, showing` the manner of pivoting the clamps to the front plate.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The heel-plate A, front plate B, movable heel-clamp O, and the front side clamps D are here represented as being made of sheet metal, beingcut out of a sheet i in blanks, as shown in the Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively, and also punched and slotted, as shown, to be after- Ward shaped, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for

connecting together and to the skate-iron E; but if preferred these parts may be formed out of wrought or rolled metal. 'lhe heel-plate A has a strong ear-plate, F, projecting upward from each rear quarter, with spurs on the inside to engage the side of the boot-heel when forced against it by the movable upwardly-projectin g clamp-pla te G, arranged to bear again st the heel along the front wall of it and forced thereon by the screw-rod H, which works in a nut, I, attached to the tongue J of the said movable clamp ,piece so that the said rod may extend along to and under the front plate B to Work thejaws D also. This movable clamping-plate G is fitted to the plate A by a long horizontal bar, K, at each end, extending through the front standard a in slots b and along notches e in the middle standard or brace f immediately under the horizontal part of said plate. When made of sheet metal this tongue J is formed of part of the plate, as shown in Fig. 5, which is bent up to the position shown in Figs. l and 2. The plates A and B are attached to the runner E by the pointed and slotted standard a and j', which, in case of being made of rolled metal, are bent vdownward from the plane of the `horizontal parts, as shown in the drawing, the standards j' being parts punched down from the middle of the plates. The slots g in the lower ends of these standards embrace the runner on each side, and the upper walls of these slots rest in notches h 'i in the upper edge thereof, into which the standards are sprung so as to be held fast by the upper walls of said notches. The standards a are bent to a horizontal line, or nearly so, immediately above the said shoulder of the slots, as shown at 7c, to afford broad and permanent seats on the edge of the runner. The front or ball-clamps D consist of segmental pieces which are pivoted to the plate B, on the under side, at L by any suitable means, or preferably by means of a slight serrated or notched tubular extension from the plate surrounding a hole formed through it, passing through an eye, M, in the clamps, and bent back and down upon the latter, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The ends of these clamps for acting upon the shoe project from under the plate B, one at each side, nearthe rear end, as shown in Fig. 2, and have a clip, N, bent up, in case of being made of sheet metal, but otherwise cast in the form shown. The other ends of the clamps, being at right angles to these having the lips N, meet together under the center ofthe frontend of the plate B, and have each a flange, l, lapping each other for the head m of the rod H to act against in forcing the clamps against the boot, and one of said kflanges has a curved extension, n, eX-

tending under and behind the head of the rod to be acted on by said head when screwing in the direction to open said clamps. But I also would reserve to myself the right to construct these clamps without the interlapping parts, both instead having a part to engage with the head of the bar as it is drawn back. The inner curved edges j of these clamps swing in guiding-notches p in theV edges of the standard f, and the edges q swing in notches 1* formed in the plate B at its outer edges, which said guide-notches, together with the pivots of the clamps, hold them iirmly While allowing them to swing. These notches are formed in the standard f by bending downthe cut lips shown at p, Fig. 3, and the ones on plate A by bending the notched pieces t, as indicated in the drawing, when the parts are made of sheetmetal. This rod has a thumb-bit, P, attached to it between the plates A and B for turning it to fasten the skate to the foot and unfasten it. Said thumb-bit consists of a small sheetmetal plate, which is attached by sliding the Claims.

1. The front or sole-clamps D N pivoted to the plate B, as specified, combined With the adjusting-rod H, as set forth.

2. The combination of the plates A B, provided with slotted standards, with the runner E provided with notches to receive' said standards, as set forth.

JOHN SIMEON ARMSTRONG.

Witnesses:

J R. ARMSTRONG, JAMES LEE. 

